Point of No Return
by Hannaadi88
Summary: Set in the aftermath of the Nagoya arc. Yuu and his friends are hiding at a seaside village, protecting the villagers while trying to think of a solution to Yuu's daily demon possession. His situation only seems to deteriorate, though, and soon enough Yuu cannot be glimpsed beyond Asuramaru's smirk. What can Mika do to retrieve his friend?
"Has he woken yet?"

Mika looked at the human girl wearily. He knew she could see the answer etched on his face, but she always insisted on hearing it from him. Mika averted his gaze as he sat down in front of the fire (not too close, never too close) and shook his head dully. A collective sigh rose from the group.

"It's been a week," the brown-haired boy with the ponytail stated the obvious. Mika didn't like him. He'd never seen him before Nagoya, and he wasn't too sure what he was doing with Yuu's humans. Yuu had never mentioned him or referred to him as part of his new family.

Yet, the other humans didn't seem to mind his presence. Mika might not trust their judgment, but Yuu certainly did. If something should happen to any of his human companions while he was unconscious, Mika knew he'd never be forgiven. For all he knew, Yuu might consider this Narumi to be his friend, too.

Mika looked into the flames, his mind wandering to the shack, where Yuu was still shackled to the wall.

The last thing Yuu needed was any more grief when he woke up. The least Mika could do was make sure that all of his friends were safe and there for him when Yuu opened his eyes.

"What does this mean?" The other brown-haired boy said. The sniper, if Mika remembered correctly. He watched as the boy turned to the human with the glasses. "Why isn't Yuu waking up?"

The fire reflected in the taller boy's glasses. "His demon is getting stronger."

"… _will_ he wake up?"

Mika's eyes flashed to the blonde girl. He narrowed them at her dangerously.

"Of course he will," the leader of the group quickly interjected, giving Mika a careful look. "This is Yuu we're talking about. If anyone can battle their demons, it's him."

"Still, he's never been out this long before," the blonde continued, oblivious to Mika's glare.

The human with the ponytail kicked a pebble into the fire. "Maybe he just isn't in there anymore."

Mika jumped up and grabbed the human by the throat, baring his fangs. He ignored the cries of the other humans, preferring to focus on the fear the boy practically radiated.

Yuu would have to be understanding once he woke up. This human wasn't fit to be in his friend's presence. How dare he doubt Yuu!

"Mika!" A sharp voice cut through his haze of anger. He turned his head and saw that the humans had stood up and were looking at him cautiously, though to his surprise, none of them had drawn their weapons.

The leader took a step forward and placed her hand on his arm. He flinched, but refused to let go of the human in his grasp.

"Put him down, Mika," the girl said firmly. "Narumi isn't threatening Yuu, he's just stating a possibility."

Mika dug his nails deeper into the human's neck. Blood trickled down his skin and Mika's eyes dilated for a split second before letting the human go. The boy coughed as he fell to the ground. The other humans surrounded him and clucked with worry, but the girl still didn't release Mika's arm.

"You're part of our family," she said softly. "We'd never try to harm you. I'd appreciate it if you did the same."

"He had it coming," Mika sneered. He yanked away from the girl's touch. "If he really cared about Yuu-chan, he wouldn't dare to suggest-"

"He said that _because_ he cares about Yuu!" The girl cut him off. Her tone was sharp. "None of us like it, but if Asuramaru has really taken complete control… we need to think about what to do."

Mika frowned. "Don't pretend like you don't know the implications of a complete possession. There isn't anything _to_ do if Asuramaru has gained control over his body."

The girl hesitated. She looked back at her group of friends.

"W-well… if he really is gone-"

"Don't you dare even suggest it," Mika warned. His fangs were getting harder to hide now.

"But Mika!" The girl bit her lip. "I don't like it either, but it's something we all need to talk about."

"It's not open for discussion," he said flatly. "Yuu-chan isn't gone. I know he's still in there."

"Then why won't he wake up?"

Mika looked at the girl closely. Now that he studied her, he could see that she was shaking. He was startled when he saw a glossy sheen in her eyes. Was she going to cry?

Mika quickly averted his gaze. He could slay a human without a second thought, could watch them as they drowned in their own pool of blood, but it just felt awkward to see a girl cry.

"He will," he said, turning to look at the shack. "I'll make him."

This made the girl smile.

A little disconcerted, Mika decided to return to the shack and prove to everyone that Yuu was still there, waiting beneath the surface. The idea of his family being trapped and calling for help made Mika ball his hands into fists at his side.

Yuu needed him.

"Wait!"

Mika paused and looked over his shoulder. The girl tilted her head at him and pulled at her collar.

"You must be hungry, Mika. You haven't eaten since last week."

Mika shook his head. "I'm fine."

"But-"

"I'm fine!"

Thankfully, the human didn't follow him as he walked up the hill to the shack. It was a good thing, too. The girl was right- he was hungry. But the idea of drinking from someone other than Yuu while Yuu was still under possession made his stomach churn. It would be… wrong. Like going behind Yuu's back, which was honestly a ridiculous way to feel, but with the way Yuu kept pestering him to drink…

Mika swallowed thickly.

He opened the door and schooled his features, just like he always did before speaking with the demon. No matter how many times he faced Asuramaru, he was always taken aback to hear the demon's words coming from Yuu's mouth. His friend never spoke to him like the demon did, but it was hard to get the image out of his head.

Asuramaru tended to be… rather lewd.

The sound of the door opening had Yuu move his limbs. Mika's breath caught in his throat as he walked in. Was that Yuu? Did he finally wake up?

"Ah, Mika-chan. How nice of you to visit me."

Mika felt his heart drop. He was a fool to hope. He frowned in disdain. Asuramaru laughed and raised his head, meeting Mika's face with a wink.

Mika could barely hide the horror, catching himself just before his expression betrayed his thoughts.

Yuu's eyes were red.

What did this mean? It surely wasn't a good sign, that was certain.

"So you noticed! I think it suits him, don't you?"

Mika's face hardened.

"This has gone on long enough, Asuramaru. Give him back to me."

The demon grinned and shook his head.

"After all the time it took me to finally shut him up? Not a chance, lover boy. I'm here to stay."

Mika shot forward and grabbed the demon by his uniform collar, abandoning all pretenses of calm. Maybe it was the way he refused to show his emotions that allowed the situation to worsen. Maybe he needed to cry out to Yuu in order to be heard.

"Listen to me, Yuu-chan! You need to be strong!" He yelled, roughly shaking the demon, who only laughed. "Snap out of it!"

"There's no need for you to yell in my ear," Asuramaru drawled. He raised a shackled hand to Mika's cheek and brushed it gently with his thumb. "He can't hear you."

Mika slapped the hand away, pinning it onto the wall over the demon's head. "Of course he can. You'll be pushed out in no time."

The demon's giggle sent a shiver down Mika's spine.

"Don't you get it, Mika? There's no one home."

Hissing, Mika pulled away as if he'd been burnt. He narrowed his eyes at the smirking demon who dared to use the face of his precious Yuu.

"You lie," he said blandly.

"Look at my eyes, Mika, and tell me I'm wrong," Asuramaru hummed. "I'm in complete possession of Yuu's body, don't you see? I can carry out his revenge for him."

"Liar!" Mika hissed. He slapped the demon, his own eyes glowing crimson. "You filthy, horrible-"

"You know I'm right," Asuramaru said in a low voice. He leaned back against the wall and sighed. "The only person lying to you is yourself."

Mika growled and pounced, straddling the demon and grabbing him by the shoulders. He shook him.

"Yuu-chan! You have to listen to me! Wake up!"

Asuramaru clucked his tongue. "He's gone, Mika. If you still doubt me, I can prove it to you. Here," he titled his head, exposing his- no, _Yuu's-_ throat. "Take a bite. I taste much better than him, I assure you."

Mika's gaze was unwillingly drawn to the demon's pulse. He licked his lips absently as he stared at the soft skin. It _had_ been a while…

"C'mon," Asuramaru crooned. "Just a sip. I know you want it."

That shook Mika out of his reverie. His eyes snapped back to the demon's face and his expression hardened.

"No," he said roughly. He stood up and backed away. "Not without Yuu-chan's permission."

Asuramaru rolled his eyes. "You know how much he liked being bitten by you. It was a little pathetic, actually. To think that he'd have such a crush on you that he'd be willing to let you suck him dry-"

"Shut up," Mika snapped. He could feel his cheeks warm up, but he refused to be flustered by a demon. "Just shut up."

"How else will you confirm that he's gone?" Asuramaru ignored him, bending his knee and spreading his legs in a provocative way that made Mika swallow thickly. "How can you live with the doubt?"

Mika frowned. "Why should you care?"

"You'll never let me help you if you think that Yuu's going to pop out at any minute," Asuramaru said slowly.

"I don't want your help," Mika scoffed.

"Ah, that's a shame, considering my offer of help was what made Yuu agreed to be possessed," the demon shrugged. "I promised to protect you and his friends until all of your enemies are gone."

Mika stood very still.

"You're lying."

Asuramaru rolled his eyes. "Not this again."

Mika's mind reeled. He felt sick to his stomach. It was so easy to imagine Yuu making a foolish, selfless deal with a demon. Yuu would never stop to wonder if the demon would keep his word. Hell, Yuu probably wanted to _trust_ the demon.

 _Damn it, Yuu._

He stormed out of the shack, slamming the door behind him and trying his best to block out the sound of the demon's snickering.

.x.

Mika briefly wondered if the fire should be lit again. It did nothing to warm him and was potentially dangerous, but at least the sound of it crackling would fill the awkward silence that followed his words. He hated how all of the humans openly stared at him.

"You're saying that Yuu made a deal with Asuramaru?" The one with the glasses said finally, breaking the silence. Mika nodded.

"Yes. At least, that's what the demon says," Mika said coldly. "He's probably lying."

The annoying blonde girl cleared her throat.

"But it does make sense, doesn't it? His horns, the fact that he now has red eyes…"

Mika frowned. "He had horns before when he was possessed. They don't mean anything."

"Miichan does have a point, though," the leader said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her as she fiddled with a burnt stick. "Yuu hasn't appeared in over a week now, and if his eyes are red… well, it's not hard to imagine that he'd make such a deal."

"What should we do, then?" The brown- haired sniper asked. Mika wasn't sure what to think of the distress in the boy's voice. He must be worried over not being able to use Yuu anymore. That was the only explanation for the pained look on his face.

"The demon is under the impression that we'll free him in exchange for his help," Mika said stiffly. "Of course, it's out of the question."

At least he didn't have to fight with them about that. The group nodded in assent, even the traitorous brown-haired one with the ponytail.

"The wards are going to wear off soon," the human with the glasses pointed out. "They won't hold forever, and we can't stay here to keep reapplying them. Even if we try to contain Asuramaru in a way for us to be able to travel with him, he'd be a liability in battle."

Mika furrowed his brows. The human was making sense, and he didn't where the conversation was going one bit.

"That means that we have two options," the leader stated. "Either we get Yuu back, or we kill Asuramaru. We can't let him escape."

Mika froze.

"But how can we get him back? Asuramaru says that he's gone," the sniper bit his lip. Mika wanted to wring his neck.

The leader nodded. "We'll have to prove that he's still in there." She turned and offered Mika a small smile. "Do you have any ideas?"

Mika paused. He couldn't let the humans touch Yuu, but he was reluctant to share what little information he had. They would insist he act upon it, and he couldn't allow himself to do so in good conscience.

Still. If he didn't say something, they might resort to their second option.

"Asuramaru offered to let me taste his blood," he said slowly. He cast a look around the circle. "He said that he'd taste different than Yuu-chan now that he's in full possession."

"Well?" The boy with the ponytail said quickly. "Did you drink it?"

"Of course not," Mika hissed.

"Why not?" The girl with the blonde hair frowned. "That could tell us if-"

Mika shook his head. "I won't drink from Yuu-chan without his consent."

The bespectacled human huffed. "This isn't the time for principles, Mika. This is the only way-"

"I won't," Mika cut him off. "Forget it."

The leader of the group cleared her throat.

"There might be another way," she said cautiously. "Asuramaru is a demon, right? What can get past his guard?"

"Another demon?" The sniper suggested.

"Exactly!" The girl clapped her hand. "It would need to be another demon of the same rank, so Kiseki-o or Gekkoin will have to do it. We'll ask one of them to probe Yuu's mind and see if he's still in there. Is that alright, Mika?"

Mika thought for a moment before nodding his head reluctantly. Anything was better than violating his trust.

"I'll do it," the brown-haired sniper said. "Should I do it now?"

"No better time than the present," the leader shrugged.

"I'll go with you," the tall boy with the glasses said. "Just in case something goes wrong."

"Okay!" The sniper smiled and stood up. He turned to Mika and offered him a shy smile. "Do you want to come too?"

Mika paused, but then shook his head. He didn't think he could stand to see the demon's smirk on Yuu's face twice in one day.

Instead, he watched as the two humans made their way up the hill to the shack. He walked away from the group and sat down on a large rock in front of the water, gathering his thoughts as he waited.

What if the demon said no?

.x.

"They're coming back!"

Mika didn't need the humans to shout in order to hear them- he could hear the flutter of a butterfly's wings a mile away. Yet he was grateful to have someone snap him out of his thoughts. He hurried back to the campsite, trying not to show his eagerness as he waited with the group for the two to return.

His pulse quickened as the pair grew close. When he looked at their faces, however, his heart sank.

The sniper had tears in his eyes.

Mika didn't stop as the humans called out to him, yelling for him to return. He didn't stop as he slammed through the door of the shack, grabbing Asuramaru and pinning him to the wall. He didn't stop as he tore through Yuu's collar and sank his teeth into his flesh.

He could hear Asuramaru laughing in the distance.

 _They're wrong,_ he thought angrily as he drank. _I'll prove it._

And at first, everything was fine. Good, even. Yuu's blood tasted as rich and sweet as always, and Mika had a hard time regulating his drinking.

Yet after the first few sips, something tasted… off. It was still Yuu's blood flowing into his mouth, but there was a bitter undertone that hadn't been there before. Something foul. Mika swallowed again, just to make sure, and the bitterness hit him full-force. He blanched and pulled away, coughing.

He took a step back and spat the remaining blood in his mouth onto the floor. It was black.

"I told you."

Mika drew his sword without much thought, holding Asuramaru up against the wall up more with his blade to his throat.

"You will die, demon."

"Who are you trying to kid?" Asuramaru chuckled. "We both know you can't do it. You wouldn't hurt a hair on Yuu's head."

"Shut up!" Mika screamed. His sword drew a thin line of blood.

Asuramaru grew still.

"Look at me, Mika," he said quietly. "Look me in the eye and do it."

His voice sounded so much like Yuu's at that moment that Mika couldn't help himself. He looked up and saw Yuu's smiling face.

Only it wasn't Yuu. His eyes were red.

Limbs feeling suddenly heavy, Mika pulled away. The weight of what he almost did shook him.

Mika ran out of the shack, running as far as his legs could take him. He stopped long enough to empty the contents of his stomach, cringing as he saw black, black, black.

Mika fell to his knees and hunched over with a strangled sob.

No matter how he looked at it, there was no denying it any longer.

Yuu was gone.

.x.

Mika followed the group as they trudged up the hill. He was silent, having not said a word since he'd returned to the camp. No one had dared ask him where he'd been.

The humans had been cautious as they spoke of their plan, looking towards Mika every so often as if they waited for him to attack them for their words, but Mika remained motionless as he stared off blankly into the distance.

They were going to kill Yuu, and he wasn't going to stop it.

Well, it wasn't Yuu they were going to kill, per say. Yuu was already gone. They were going to free his body from the demon possession and give him the proper burial he deserved.

The words thundered in his head as they climbed.

Yuu was gone.

And he hadn't had a chance to say goodbye.

Mika knew he'd feel the anguish soon. He knew he'd be angry. Yuu had always been selfish- asking him to become a full vampire only so he could keep him company. And then he'd gone off and died on him in some valiant attempt at heroism without saying a word.

How could Yuu do this to him?

Yet, all Mika could feel was numbness as the group stopped a few paces away from the shack.

"This is probably the hardest thing we've ever had to do," the leader said softly, looking everyone in the eye before continuing, "but it's the last thing we can do for Yuu. Don't let the demon's appearance make you hesitate- Asuramaru might be possessing Yuu's body, but Yuu isn't there anymore. Understood?"

The group nodded gravely.

"Kimizuki? Are you prepared?"

The boy with the glasses nodded. Mika could see his fingers grow white on the hilts of his swords.

"Yes," he said gruffly.

The girl turned to Mika and gave him a long look.

"You consent to our plan, Mika? You won't interfere?"

Mika's mouth went dry. He shook his head. That would have to be enough for her.

Asuramaru had to die for what he did to Yuu, yet Mika knew that he'd never be able to land the final blow. The demon had been right- he couldn't kill Yuu. Even if it was just his body.

"Alright, then. Let's go!"

The group burst into the shack and was quick to surround the shackled Asuramaru. Mika stood in the corner, watching the scene carefully. He might not be able to kill the demon, but he'd be damned if the humans harmed Yuu's body without his being there to witness it. He wouldn't stop it, but he couldn't bear the thought of them doing the deed behind his back.

He needed to see it with his own eyes. It would be the most painful thing he'd ever see, but he _needed_ to be there.

He couldn't let Yuu leave the world alone.

 _It's not Yuu-chan, though,_ Mika had to remind himself. Shaking his head, he tuned in on the conversation between the demon and the humans. He scowled as he watched them, weapons drawn as Asuramaru leaned back casually against the wall.

They were foolish for allowing the demon to speak.

"This is what Yuu wanted, though," Asuramaru insisted. "You kill me, and his sacrifice would have been in vain."

"Don't listen to him!" The leader shouted. The group crowded in on the demon. "Kimizuki, now!"

The bespectacled boy raised his swords into the air and shouted something about a coffin. Mika's eyes widened in interest as a black coffin materialized above the group. A strange voice started to count.

Once the counting reached nine, two things happened. The human girls broke the seals on Asuramaru's chains and the coffin opened. Mika's hand reached down for his sword, ready to step in if the demon got away, but to his surprise, Asuramaru was dragged into the coffin.

Unsure what was supposed to happen next, Mika waited, eyes trained on the coffin. Despite his attention, he was still startled when the coffin opened again, dropping Yuu's body onto the floor.

"Be ready, everyone," the leader of the group murmured as she took a cautious step forward. "We don't know if it worked."

As she spoke, the body moved. It grabbed the human by the ankle and slammed her down against the floor. She cried out and tried to roll away, but Asuramaru held her by the neck.

"Make one move and I'll tear her throat out," the demon said lazily. He looked around the group and shook his head sadly. "You could have just accepted my help. But no, you tried to knock me out of Yuu's body. Not that it would have done anything, mind you. It would just be an empty shell."

The demon cackled as the stricken faces. "Pity. We could've worked well together."

Mika felt a jolt as Asuramaru caught his gaze.

"Ah, there you are, Mika-chan. I was wondering where you were. Came to witness the slaughter?"

It all happened too fast. Mika had to begrudgingly admit that the humans had honed their instincts as well as they possibly could. Sensing the demon's slight distraction, the blonde girl had cast a charm, making a chained handcuff appear on one of Asuramaru's hands. It wasn't enough to contain him for long, but it gave the leader just enough time to crawl away.

Asuramaru reached out, trying to retrieve her, but the sound of pierced flesh echoed through the room. The bespectacled boy was standing in back of the demon, the tip of his sword just visible on the other side of Asuramaru's chest.

"What the-"

"Now, Kimizuki! Activate the curse!"

Mika watched numbly as the human yelled something. He didn't bother looking at any of the people in the group, though- his attention was solely focused on the demon's face. Yuu's face. His heart felt like it was being squeezed as he saw Asuramaru's eyes widen in shock. Their gazes met, and Asuramaru's lips moved soundlessly, framing a name that mouth had said countless times before.

"Mika?"

But- no. Something was wrong. It was only a beat later, when the light in the eyes dulled and the face went slack, that Mika felt his stomach lurch in comprehension.

Yuu's eyes had been green.


End file.
